May 2, 2011

An Un-Traditional Life

Highschool, ahh the memories. Overall it wasn’t a bad experience for me. Sure it had gaps filled with awkward and insecure moments but really, if it didn’t, it wouldn’t have been the true definition of high school life. Upon leaving school I headed out into the “real world” and started doing exactly what was expected of me. I got a boyfriend, I went to college, I got my first job, my first apartment, first car, you see where I’m going with this....

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It wasn’t until my late 20’s that I started questioning why I was doing what I was doing.

Why was I going through the motions that society expected me too and not making decisions for myself? Why wasn’t I deciding how I should live my life, spend my waking hours, spend my money. But influences up through the years (family, friends, and the almighty TV) had already programmed me to believe that the average/normal way to live was the right way.

I’ve since realized that the normal average way of life isn’t the right way to live for this very much average woman. I crave an un-traditional life.

Sure I agree with abiding by the laws of the land, I am traditional in the sense that I do believe in the bond of marriage, having a family, the importance of spirituality and an overall stability to a daily life. However the routine of a daily life is what I question....

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These questions are really pushing me to decide how I want to LIVE my life. Not survive it. I get one chance and I don’t want to screw it up. I don’t want to be 80 and wishing I had done this, I had done that. THIS is the time, THIS is my chance. So what if I try and fail. It’s really not the end of the world. People quit and start new jobs every day. People sell their homes, move across the world and decide to move back every day. So why am I such a chicken? What’s holding me back? Life really doesn’t end over a failed adventure.

And honestly with the amazing family, friends and support system that I have, IF I chose to leap I don’t think I could fail, because these people are so amazing I know they’d do everything they could to help me succeed.

So now I’m left with decisions, decisions on how to obtain the lifestyle I truly want. How I do that when everything in our daily lives support the 9 to 5, Monday to Friday grind. But I’m not afraid, I’m excited, eager to learn, take the chance and figure it all out.

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Please... I’d love to hear your experiences and stories where you’ve decided to go against the grain to follow your heart. What chances have you taken that weren’t a failed adventure but the most rewarding risk you’ve ever taken?

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of" ~Jim Rohn

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Well, I've started an adventure of my own. It has thrown hurdles at me that I never expected but I know that this is not the end of the world. I'm going to be a stronger person because of my decision and in the long run, this WILL BE the life I always wanted to live. I'll keep ya posted. :)btw, Thanks! Just for being you.

The decision to move back home was huge for us! We make WAY less money and a business to run (which doesn't make money, either...yet!) but I would never trade it for the opportunity to be here. My life is crazy sometimes but it's far from the 9-5 I lived in Ontario and that's for sure! Chances are worth taking and you'll figure it out one way or the other. And sometimes when we "fail" it shouldn't actually be considered a failure, it's just a turn in a direction we didn't originally anticipate. Good luck :)